1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pointing apparatus for performing pointing for an object in a three-dimensional space.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, the technology of computer graphics which forms figures on a display by using computer processing is used in a variety of fields.
In this computer graphics technology, a user gives a predetermined indication by performing pointing for an object displayed on a monitor display by using a pointing apparatus such as a mouse.
If the object is located in a three-dimensional space displayed on the monitor display, it is difficult to seize the depth of the three-dimensional space. The pointing for the object performed by the use of the pointing apparatus, therefore, is performed by informing a user of whether an area (indicating area) indicated by the user is in agreement with the position coordinate area of the object.
Information of pointing is conventionally performed by a method of giving a user an information indicating that a corresponding operation is executed or has been executed, by displaying an additional line in an indicating area pointed by a cursor or the like, or a method of performing feedback of voice information or information of the sense of touch for a user when an indicating area pointed by a cursor or the like is in agreement with the position coordinate area of an object.
In the above method of performing pointing by displaying an additional line or by performing feedback of the voice information or the information of the sense of touch for a user, however, variations occur in a manner in which a user recognizes the information. Therefore, variations readily occur in the accuracy with which pointing is performed for an object. In addition, a display on a monitor display becomes cumbersome. Also, the method requires means for performing feedback of the voice information or the information of the sense of touch for a user in addition to means for displaying data on a monitor display. Conventional pointing apparatuses, therefore, are complicated in arrangement and expensive. In addition, in using conventional pointing apparatuses, a user performs pointing while checking the voice information or the information of the sense of touch given independently of data on a display. Consequently, the user cannot concentrate on the display contents, and this may lead to a decrease in efficiency of a work for forming figures or the like.